Electric-circuit controller.



S. MAZUR.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14. I916.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

S. MAZUR.

ELECTRIC cmcun CONTROLLER.

I APPLICATION FILED 'r'EB. I4. 1916. 1,205,467, Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEE[SSHEET 2- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

SAMUEL MAZUR, OF BUFFALO, YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES AHRHART, JR.,BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

Application filed February 14, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMLUEL MAZUR, a citizenof the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie andState of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements inElectric-Circuit Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an electric circuit controller and moreparticularly to a mechanism of this character which may be associatedwith clocks as now ordinarily constructed for the purpose ofperiodically closing an electric circuit at a predetermined time ortimes for causing the electric translating device included in saidcircuit to become operative or inoperative according as the electriccontroller has been set.

One of the uses to which this device may be put is to close periodicallythe electric circuit of a signal or alarm bell whereby persons may bewakened, workmen informed when to begin or stop their work, etc.

In the electric controllers of this character as heretofore constructed,it has been necessary to set the same for each period at which thecircuit of the translating device was to be closed, provided this wasnecessary more than once during every twelve hours of the day, which isobjectionable because the controller in this case requires constantattention.

It is the object of this invention to provide an electric circuitcontroller whereby the circuit of the translating device may be closedat different times of the day with but one setting of the mechanism andwithout requiring further attention so long as the periods at which the.controller has been set are satisfactory.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a face view of a clockembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical transversesection, on an enlarged scale, taken in rear of the dial of the clockand substantially in line 2-2, Fig. r. Fig. 3 is a detached view of theworks of the clock, partly in section, equipped with my improvedelectric switch mechanism and associated with an electric signaling oralarm bell which latter in this instance constitutes the electrictranslating mechanism.

.Fig. i is a fragmentary, horizontal section,

on an enlarged scale, taken substantially in lme tl, Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and6 are frag- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Serial No. 78,150.

mentary vertical transverse sections, on a reducd scale, taken in thecorrespondingly numbered lines in Fig. i, and viewed in the directionsindicated by the arrows associated with these lines.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views.

Although the clock mechanism with which my improved electric circuitcontroller is associated may be variously constructed, that shown in thedrawings comprises a casing 1, a frame 2 secured to the back of thecasing and supporting the clock works which are generally indicated bythe reference character 3, a horizontal minute shaft 4 j ournaled insuitable bearings 0n the frame and provided at its front end with theminute hand 5, a tubular hour shaft 6 also journaled on the frame andsurrounding the front part of the minute shaft and provided at its frontend with the hour hand 7, and

a dial 8 secured to the front part of the easing and traversed by theminute and hour hands of the clock in the usual manner.

As before stated, the electric translating device shown in the drawings,for example, consists of an electric signaling bell, gong or alarm 9which is preferably of the vibrat ing type so that when the circuit ofthis bell is closed the same will continue to ring until the circuit isagain opened. The circuit of this bell includes a battery or otherelectric generator 10 and also hand operated switch 11, so that the bellmay be rendered inoperative and unaffected by the time switch if at anytime this should be desired.

The mechanism which is associated with the clock and which embodies myinvention is constructed as follows: 12 represents a setting diskpreferably constructed of metal and secured to the" front part of thehour shaft within an opening 13 in the clock dial and flush with theface of the dial so that the front side of this setting disk isaccessible from the exterior of the clock to permit of setting suchparts which require to be shifted for closing the electric circuit atpredetermined times and also to permit parts associated with this diskto cooperate therewith from the inner side of the casing. Near itsperiphery this setting disk is provided with a plurality of radial slots14 which are arranged in an annular row, twenty-four of such slots beingpreferably employed and arranged equidistant, each slot corresponding toa period of half an hour. In each of these slots a settable main contact15 is arranged and capable of being shifted radially either into itsoperative or into its inoperative position with reference to anotherrelatively stationary main contact 16. The adjustable main contactpreferably consists of a horizontal pin which has its front partarranged within one of the radial slots of the setting disk andadjustably secured therein by means of clamping nuts 17 engaging with anexternal screw thread on this part of the adjustable contact and adaptedto be clamped against opposite sides of the setting disk while the rearend of this pin projects some distance in rear of the setting disk, asshown in Fig. 4:. In the present instance the switch mechanism is soconstructed that when the contact pins 15 are arranged in the innerparts of the radial slots of the setting disk, the same are inoperativewhile upon shifting the same to the outer parts of these slots they arein an operative position. As the setting disk rotates with the hourshaft and hand, those contact pins which are in an operative positionare caused to engage successively with the relatively stationary contact16 and close the circuit of the translating device at this place whilethose pin contacts which are shifted into an inoperative position on thesetting disk clear the relatively stationary contact while the settingdisk turns with the hour shaft and hand.

The relatively stationary contact 16 preferably comprises a finger ofsheet metal which has its free end arranged in the path of the operativesettable contacts while its other end is pivoted to turn about an axiswhich is horizontal and parallel with the axis of the setting disk. Thispivot is preferably carried by a metal bracket 18 which is secured to ablock 19 of insulating material on the rear wall of the casing andconnected with one side of the circuit which includes the electric bellor other translating device. The contact finger 16 is yieldingly held inthe path of the operator settable contacts by means of a spring 20 whichtends to move this finger in a direction opposite to that in which thefinger is moved by the contact pins 15, the extent of movement of thecontact finger under the action of its spring being limited by means ofa stop 21 which is preferably mounted on the bracket to which thecontact finger is pivoted. Each of the contact pins upon sweeping pastthe contact finger engages therewith, so as to close the electriccircuit at this place, and also deflect this finger against theresistance of its spring, and when the respective contact pin clears thecontact finger the latter is again returned by its spring into aposition in which its free end projects into the path of the operativecontact pins, ready to be engaged by the next following one of suchpins.

If the closing of the circuit through the translating device weredependent solely upon the operative main pins of the setting disk andthe relative stationary main contact finger the circuit of thetranslating device would remain closed for a period of time which is toolong for practical purposes, particularly when the translating device isa vibrating electric bell, inasmuch as the movement of the setting diskis comparatively slow and the vibrating bell would be sounded for aconsiderable period of time before the circuit between the operativesettable pin would be carried out of contact with the contact finger bythe movement of the setting disk.

In order to avoid closing the circuit of the translating device anexcessively long period of time an auxiliary switch is provided which iscontrolled by and operates in harmony with the movement of the minuteshaft and hand. This auxiliary closing device is preferably soconstructed that it momentarily closes the circuit of the translatingdevice twice during every half hour at a point different from that atwhich this circuit is closed by the contacts of the main or hour switch.This auxiliary switch mechanism is preferably constructed as follows: 20represents a fixed support which is preferably constructed of insulatingmaterial and in the form of a disk and connected by means of brackets 23with the frame of the clock works so that it is held stationary. On oneside, preferably the front side, of this supporting disk the same isprovided on diametrically opposite sides with two metallic i fixedcontacts 24, 25 which are preferably connected with each other and withthe opposite side of the electric circuit of the translating device bymeans of a C-shaped strip 26 of metal arranged circumferentially on therear side of the insulating supporting disk.

Extending axially through the insulating disk and journaled in suitablebearings on the main frame is a horizontal countershaft 27 which isarranged parallel with the hour and minute shafts. This countershaft isturned in unison with the minute shaft by means of an intermediate gearwheel 28 journaled on the frame of the clock works and meshing on itsopposite sides with like pinions 29, 30, secured to the rear parts ofthe minute shaft and the auxiliary shaft, as shown in Figs. at and 6. Infront of the insulating support 22 the countershaft is provided with ametal head or bracket 31 to which is pivoted a metal contact arm 32, thepivotal connection between this arm and the bracket being arranged atright angles to the axis of the countershaft, so that the contact armcan swing toward the face of the insulating disk. At its free end thecontact arm is provided with a metal contact roller or wheel 33 whichlatter is yieldingly held in engagement with the face of the insulatingdisk by means of aspring 3% secured to the bracket 31, and engaging withthe front side of the contact arm. The distance from the axis of thecountershaft to the contact roller or wheel is the same as the distancefrom the axis of this shaft to the auxiliary contacts on the insulatingdisk, so that upon rotating the contact roller bodily around thesupporting disk by means of the countershaft and associated parts, thiscontact will be caused to engage successively with the two auxiliar icontacts 24, 25.

Owing to the metallic connection between the countershaft and thesetting disk which is furnished by the intervening metallic parts of theclock works, the circuit of the electric translating device is completedand the bell is caused to ring whenever a main contact pin 15 engageswith the contact finger l6 and the auxiliary contact roller or wheel 33engages with one or the other of the auxiliary stationary contacts as,The relative timing of the main and auxiliary switch is such that when acontact pin 15 corresponding to an hour on the clock is engaged by themain contact finger 16, the auxiliary contact roller 33 will engage oneof the auxiliary stationary contacts and when one of the main contactpins of the setting disk corresponding to a half hour of the clockengages with the main contact finger the auxiliary roller engages theother auxiliary contact. By this means a contact of long duration may beproduced between the main contacts 15, 16 at the end of every half hourof the clock and a contact of short duration at the end of every halfhour between the auxiliary contact roller 33 and one or the other of theauxiliary stationary contacts. It follows from this construction thatthe circuit of the translating device may be momentarily closed onceduring every half hour of the day, thereby rendering the sameparticularly desirable for operating a ti brating bell or similar devicewhich requires a circuit to be only closed a short time to accomplishthe intended purpose.

In practice, the switch mechanism is so set that the main contact pin ofthe setting disk engages with the companion main contact finger shortlybefore the auxiliary conact roller engages with one of the auxiliaryfixed contacts, thereby insuring complete closure of the circuit of thetranslating device when the auxiliary contact roller engages one of thestationary auxiliary-contacts, inasmuch as the main contacts remain inengagement for some time after the active auxiliary contacts have beenagain disengaged from each other.

By means of this improved electric switch mechanism the operation of theclock proper is not interfered with as sometimes is the case in electrictime clocks in which the hands of the clock form the movable contactsand engage with stationary contacts on the dial of the clock. In suchprior de ices. the hands of the clock when engaging the stationarycontacts are liable to be stopped by the friction between these partsand also by the partial fusing of these parts and the melting togetherof the same when the elec tric circuit passes through the same.

By rendering the setting disk accessible from the face of the dial andproviding this setting disk with a plurality of adjustable contacts oneor more of which may be shifted into an operative position, it ispossible to close the electric circuit of the translating device atpredetermined periods of each day without requiring repeated adjustmentof the setting mechanism. For instance, if the pins on the setting dialare set so as to give a signal of the bell at eight oclock in themorning for beginning work in a factory, stopping work at 12 oclock fordinner, resuming work at 1 oclock after dinher, and quitting work at 5oclock in the afternoon, the settable contact pins may remainindefinitely in this position and therefore repeat the signals from dayto day until it is desired to change the hour or half hour at which thesignals should be given. This switch mechanism is therefore much moreconvenient and desirable than an electric time switch in which settingof parts is necessary for each succeeding signal after the previoussignal has been given.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric circuit controller comprising a clock works having anhour shaft and a minute shaft, a setting disk mounted on said hour shaftand turning in unison therewith and provided with a plurality of radialslots, and a plurality of settable contacts each adjustable radiallyfrom the front of the clock in one of said slots and adapted to engagewith a relatively fixed contact, each of said settable contacts havingthe form of a pin and provided with an externally threaded part whichreceives screw nuts engaging with opposite sides of said disk.

2. An electric circuit controller comprising a clock works having anhour shaft and a minute shaft, a countershaft turning in unison withsaid minute shaft, an arm pivotallv connected with said shaft andprovided with a contact roller, a stationary insulating supporting diskhaving a fixed contact which is adapted to be engaged by the contactroller, and a spring for pressing said arm toward said disk.

3. An electric circuit controller comprising a clock works having anhour shaft and a minute shaft, a setting disk turning in uniricallyopposite sides of said countershaft son With said hour shaft and havinga p1uwith fixed contacts, and an arm mounted on raiity of settable maincontacts, a relatively said countershaft and provided With a r011- 10stationary contact adapted to be engaged by ing contact adapted toengage successively said settable contacts, a counter shaft turnwithsaid fixed contacts.

ing in unison with said minute shaft, a stationary insulating diskprovided on diamet- SAMUEL MAZUR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner at Patents. Washington, D. 0.

